Keto and Low Testosterone: How Keto Diets and Testosterone Work Together
A keto diet is a high-fat and low-carb diet that’s been used by many men to boost their stamina and testosterone levels. When you eat keto, your body produces ketones in the liver, which is used as energy. Since the body cannot use glucose as fuel, it burns fat during the process.
In short, if you want to lose weight and improve the condition of your skin tone and hair, then the Keto Diet is for you. Although testosterone levels in men do not change immediately when on Keto Diet, eventually, they improve after some time.
Is a ketogenic diet safe for the heart?
The first thing that many men ask is whether a ketogenic diet is safe for the heart and why it should not, as many doctors try to scare their patients away from cholesterol, but recent studies have shown that cholesterol isn’t necessarily the enemy – and if you are going to eat fewer carbs anyway, you might as well focus more on eating good fats.
While some people immediately jump to conclusions and believe that a low-carb, high-fat diet means eating like Atkins (lots of meat), others mistakenly believe it means eating too much fat for your health. However, there are a lot of people who are on relatively low-fat diets who still get diabetes or heart disease despite being skinny. The truth is that it is possible to eat lots of healthy fats and very few carbohydrates without putting your health at risk. This can include nuts and seeds, coconut oil, olive oil, avocado oil, and butter from grass-fed animals
How does a keto diet help with blood sugar and cortisol levels?
If you have high cortisol levels, your body tries to compensate by releasing more insulin to manage your blood sugar levels. However, this just leads to a vicious cycle. The more insulin you need, the more cortisol you release—and the higher your cortisol gets.
Over time, increased cortisol can lead to a weakened immune system and even an increased risk of weight gain and diabetes. Diets that are rich in fat and low in carbohydrates reduce the amount of cortisol released into your bloodstream by slowing down glucose production in the liver and reducing inflammation. If these are issues you’re struggling with, a keto diet can help bring equilibrium back into your body.
Can keto help reverse fatty liver disease?
A ketogenic diet supports the liver in producing more ketones, which can help with weight loss and reduce inflammation. A high-fat, low-carb diet has been demonstrated to reverse fatty liver disease. When the body enters ketosis, it changes from burning glycogen (sugar and carb-based energy) to burning fat (ketones), resulting in a natural reduction in fatty acid volume. It’s crucial to highlight that if you have liver illness, you should talk to your doctor before starting keto.
Can endurance athletes do the keto diet?
Endurance athletes, such as cyclists and marathon runners, are notorious for loading up on carbs before workouts, races, or competitions. Most individuals avoid keto because they believe that a high-protein, high-carb diet is the only way to exercise effectively. These high-carb beliefs were debunked in a 2018 study in which a group of ultra-endurance athletes followed a keto diet for almost a year. Keto’s functionality in amateur and professional activities was shown to be promising by runners. The athletes’ performance and nutritional profiles were unaffected. Lipid (fat transporters) levels really improved, indicating that the body utilizes fat ketone energy to fuel high-intensity exercise in the same way that carbohydrates and glucose do.
How do Keto and Testosterone Work Together?
Your testosterone levels play a huge role in your overall health. As the male sex hormone, testosterone plays a key role in muscle growth and strength. It’s also important for fat loss and sexual health. Low testosterone can lead to fatigue, low libido, depression, and body fat gain, among other issues. There are several ways that you can naturally increase your testosterone levels, such as lifting weights regularly, getting more sleep, and following a keto diet.
Keto and Weight Loss
Keto is catching on in the weight loss community. It’s an effective way to shed excess pounds and inches. The keto diet can help reduce your waistline, but it also affects testosterone levels.
A keto diet helps you lose weight in several ways, including:
- Decreased appetite
- Increased fat burn
- Lowering insulin levels
The benefits of low insulin levels are that they naturally suppress your appetite, which means you eat less throughout the day and consume fewer calories overall. When combined with increased ketone production, this translates into increased fat burning (ketones are byproducts of fat breakdown). This is why so many people experience rapid weight loss when first starting a ketogenic diet — their body is using up its stored fat for energy!
Why Ketones Are Good For Men’s Health
Ketones may offer a variety of health benefits, but when it comes to men’s health specifically, there are some particularly exciting potential uses.
- Ketones are a great source of fuel for the brain. When glucose isn’t available, ketones can be used as an alternative energy source for the brain to help keep it running efficiently.
- Ketones may help improve mood and reduce anxiety. A study found that subjects who were given additional ketone bodies showed decreased levels of stress and depression-like behavior.
- Ketones may help reduce inflammation in the body. Both obesity and low testosterone can lead to systemic inflammation in the body. This is detrimental to multiple areas of men’s health, from fertility to mental health.
- Ketones may help improve sleep. Sleep quality is a big factor in both testosterone production and overall mental wellbeing, which is why many men struggle with insomnia as they age or become overweight.
Overall, ketones are good for men’s health. They can help with weight loss, improve mental clarity, and reduce the risk of heart disease. There are many different ways to achieve ketosis, and it is a safe and healthy way to improve your overall health.